Automatic coupler for air line hose of railway cars



May 12, 1931. J. NOFFSl-NGER 1,804,509

' I AUTOMATIC COUPLER FOR AIR LINE HOSE OF RAILWAY CARS Filed June 5, 1929 2 SheetsSheet l May 12, 1931. J. NOFIESINGER AUTOMATIC COUPLER FOR AIR LINE HOSE OF RAILWAY CARS I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 5, 1929 Patented May 12, 1931 J'QHN NOFFSI NG ER, OFF JEWELL OHTO AUTOMATIC,GOUPLERJOB. Am LINE rosn or tainway cans Application filed June 5,

The present invention is directed to improvements in couplers for air line hose of railway cars.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a device of this character so constructed that the operation of coupling and uncoupling the air hose will be entirely automatic.

Another object of the invention is to pro 1 vide a device of this nature so constructed that when the cars are coupled the air controlling valves will remain open and will automatically close when the cars are uncoupled.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this kind so constructed that the coupling of the air hose will be effected automatically, thereby eliminating the necessity, and incident danger, of trainmen working between the cars.

With these and other objects in view,'this invention resides in the novel features of construction, formation, combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more -3 fully described, claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a side view. Figure 2 is a front view of one of the head plates.

through the coupler.

Figure 4 is a similar view, taken at right angles to Figure 1.

The coupler comprises a pair of head plates 1 1, and since the head plates and associated parts are identical in construction, the description of one will suffice for both.

Each of said plates is provided with an alining cone 2 and cone receiving opening 3, which are laterally spaced, said plates having formed integral therewith a stem 4 having a chamber 5 formed therein, the forward end of the chamber being closed by a threaded disc 6, said disc having a central opening 7. Slidable in the opening 7 is a valve sleeve 8 having its inner end closed by a head 9 provided with a marginal flange 10. This sleeve is provided with air passages 11. Extending rearwardly from the head 9 is a stem 12 which slidably 5 engages a socket 13 formed axially in the boss Figure 8 1s a longitudinal sectional view.

Serial 365,518.

14, said boss'be'ing cast integral with therear wall of the chamber 5. -Eneiming the stem 12: and interposedbetween tlie' boss- 14g. and the hemp; is 'acoil spring '15 which tends-to urge th'e 'vai've amount army." "The plate" r is provided with an; angu1ar;um;1emit recess I6 iii-Which is' fitted arubb-er gasket 17; of a thickness to permit its outer faceto-lie in a plane slightly beyond the plane of: the outer face of the'pl'atejthe purposejof which'iwill lat'erappear. r The stem-4 has formed its inner e n'd, a recess 18 for receiving the tapered head l9, said head being pi votally retained in the recess by a pin 20. iThe head 19; has ashank 21 formed integral therewith, and fittedfqn said shank is a platel22 which bears against the acent end of the head-l9. :'-;Sli dable1on theshank 21 is :a sleeye-23, the forwardsend of which bears against the plate122, said sleeve having itsflouterend engagedby theradj acent end offthe coilsp'ring QLLWhiClLGnCii'ClGStlI G shank-21. .Th6 rear, end. of the; spring. abuts the; bracket 25; carried? :by rthe l'si'll of a. 'car, there being ,a .bracket.;;26 ,alined. with said, bracket 25 to..;aid;in, supporting the ide'vic'e. The brackets. are :so 4 arranged. that the plate 1,, andv its, associated parts, .w ill,.be ;si1pporjted under the usual coupling heads 27; BEPiV- ota1ly ,mou;nt;ing thex head l9; the plate, may ng sl ghtly whe ais ctibn Qurved r e ise cou ere wT Q st m Lak anppe ing 28 formed her i for cnn e ic efthee hese QQ-sqthetai Wi l-enter theehambe fi -;Th wp te1. e :it Qujterfeee Prov ded with a pl ral ty ef ag fi i th p rp se o whi wi lzeppe l ter: I I w l be iobi rye ethe th Mined. wee a Openi gs. o th -11 ate ar arre ge w al rn in r a nsh p h re y h som f one, plate carried l by one caru will enter ,the

opening of thecompanion plate carriedby the other car. a p p i a When the plates 1 are in theposition shown n EigP e n s, egask s i arel n' r Con c n rs il t Pre -s e l eak i fi i ligi erjesili eyb th g ke th adja n e ds o th s e r v ve '8 will ;be

inc ntactL "when inlthis p osition the sleejes 8 are arranged in their innermost positions so that the air passages 11 will be uncovered by the discs 6, thus permitting air to freely pass from one chamber to the other throughout the system. At this time, the springs 15 will be under compression so that the ends of the sleeve valves 8 will be yieldably engaged. It will be obvious that when the cars are uncoupled and the plates 1 separate, the springs 15 will immediately expand and force the sleeve valves outwardly, whereupon the air passages 11 will be closed by the discs 6, thus cutting off the air supply. The sleeves 8 are 7 limited in their outward movement by the flanges 10 contacting with the discs 6.

, It will be apparentthat when two cars are being coupled, the cones and openings of the respective plates cooperate to cause'the sleeves 8 to be brought into direct alinement and whenthe plates are in full contact, the passages 11 of the sleeves will be fully opened for the passage of air.

In Figure 1, the usual; air hose 31 is indicated in dotted lines so that should itbe necessary to couple a car not equipped with the device to one equipped therewith, the old air hose, can be used. It will, of course, be understood that after all cars have been equipped with the device and it is standard cally connected.

The bases of the alining cones 2 are provided with cylindrical portions 3 which are adapted to enter the openings 3 when the device is fully coupled. Obviously, when these portions are engaged in the openings, relative swinging movement of the plates 1 is positively prevented as the cars swing, thus maintaining the sleeve valves 8 in direct alinement.

The cylindrical portions 3 are provided with ribs 32 and it will be obvious that the lugs 30 and ribs 82 will chip the ice from the plates and from the openings when the couplers are in their operative position.

From the foregoing, it is thought that the construction, operation, and many advantages of the herein described invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art, without further description, and it will be understood that various changes in size, shape, proportion and minor details of construction, may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

What is claimed is:

Atrain line coupler comprising a plate having a centrally disposed valve .mechanism, and having an opening at one side of the valve mechanism and a horn at the opposite side of the valve mechanism consti- 

